A colorless, liquid ring compound, prepared from wood tar or furfural, and used as a solvent for resins, plastics, etc., or as a tanning agent

A class of chemicals similar to dioxins, which are created at elevated temperatures such as incineration of PCBs and other organic wastes containing chlorine. Also known as dibenzofurans, there are no commercial uses for these chemicals.

A class of organic heterocyclic compounds regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of their toxic characteristics. Among other sources, furans can be produced as a byproduct in some pine tar distillation processes. Some derivatives of furans, such as furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, and tetrahydrofuran, are commercially important. Furans can be generated by the same combustion problems described for dioxins.

Generic term for a family of chemical compounds including furfural and furfuryl alcohol sued as binders for core sands.